Blood &amp;amp; protein in urine.

Hello,
I am a 26 year old female, and about 2 years ago my doctor discovered blood and protein in my urine. I was ordered and IVP, which turned out to be inconclusive. The doctor deduced that I had a "leaky kidney", and shrugged it off by saying that we will just keep an eye on it. Last year's physical showed the same levels of blood and protein, and since I had no other symptoms no additional testing was ordered.
Yesterday I had a physical again, and the doctor said that my blood and protein levels have increased (my urine was very dark, and usually is darker in the morning). I have an appointment in one month with a kidney specialist.
I am very worried about this and have been provided limited information and advise from my regular doctor regarding this. I have been reading up on it on the internet, and found an article about Hematuria. I hate to self-diagnose myself, but this is sounding dead on. This article goes on to say that the blood and, and particularly protein, may be a sign of cancer, and that has got me even more worried. I know very little about kidney cancer, but I don't like the sounds of it!!
I guess I really have 2 questions for you that I am hoping that you can answer:
1. How worried should I be? What other symptom are there for kidney cancer?
2. What steps should I be taking now to take better care of my kidneys?
Any information that you could provide me with would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Jennifer Cleary
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jennifer,
Blood in the urine is referred to as hematuria. It may be visible to the naked eye (gross hematuria) or only detected by a dipstick urine test or microscope (microscopic hematuria). In any case, there are a variety of causes for blood in the urine (such as stones, infection, cancer/tumor, filtration problem/kidney disease, etc.), the source of which may be anywhere in the urinary tract; kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. However, since the list of differential diagnoses is long, I will limit this reply to your specific questions. The only thing that I would like to indicate is that the work-up of hematuria is a IVP and cystoscopy (one of which you have had) to evaluate both the upper and lower urinary tracts respectively. Usually the results are negative, and the hematuria is attributed to benign causes such as

The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Med Help International, Inc. is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. By using this Site you agree to the following Terms and Conditions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.